Rearguard at Terijoki - Winter War

02 SEPTEMBER 1941, TERIJOKI, FINLAND KARELIAN ISTHMUS With the start of the Operation Barbarossa the Finnish Army, seeking the revenge of the Winter War of 1939, has launched a large offensive aiming to recover the lost ground of the 1939 conflict. The Soviet 23rd Army has collapsed within 3 weeks under the pressure of heavy Finn attacks and was trapped in isolated pockets in Sortvala, Khitola and Vyborg. Soviet High Command had nothing much to restore the shattered northern flank of Leningrad. They desperately ordered the remnants of the 23rd Army to breakout and form a new defensive line on the eastern side of the Sestra River. The 131st Border Battalion, which had been acting as a rearguard for the retreating 23rd Army, was defending the town of Terijoki against the Finn spearheads. They were anxiously waiting for the order to release them for retreating back to the friendly lines. Meanwhile the leading formation of the Finnish 2nd Corps, the elite 1st Parachute Regiment was leading the way towards Terijoki.